In our last top 5 smartphones post I’ll rant about best devices users in Europe can buy today. The keyword here is “today,” meaning I won’t mention such upcoming phones as the HTC Evo 3D, Apple iPhone 5 and Nokia N9, even though some of them are already available for pre-ordering (Evo 3D). That said, all of the phones I’ve picked are readily available across Europe and all can be grabbed for free with your signature on a two-year contract that costs at least 30-35 GBP (35-40 EUR) per month. Without further ado, let’s roll…
1. Samsung Galaxy S II
This is by far the single best Android smartphone ever made, not least thanks to Samsung’s super-awesome 4.3-inch WVGA Super AMOLED Plus screen that provides vivid colors while also making sure you can actually read text from the phone’s screen in direct sunlight.
And the screen is just the beginning – the Samsung Galaxy S II also comes with an 8-megapixel camera, dual-core 1.2GHz processor, HSPA+ (downlink up to 21Mbps) and Wi-Fi connectivity, 16GB of built-in storage, 1GB of RAM, GPS, sensors and so on. At the moment, it is available only in black, but if there’s some merit to the stories we’re hearing, the white version will be launched later in August.
In a nutshell, this is the best phone you can buy at the moment and by “pushing the button,” you’ll join millions of existing SGS2 owners. Speaking of millions, Samsung managed to move 3 million Galaxy S II units in just 55 days and 5 million units even before launching the device in the U.S. Impressive!
2. HTC Sensation
The second prize goes to HTC Sensation, which our U.S. readers know as T-Mobile’s HTC Sensation 4G. Its screen may not have the clarity of Samsung’s Super AMOLED Plus, but it can handle more pixels – the Sensation’s screen is qHD, displaying resolution of 540×960 pixels.
In addition, the Sensation also comes with a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash. Moreover, there’s 768MB of RAM, 1GB of built-in storage, HSPA+ (downlink up to 14.4Mbps) and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS and so on.
HTC’s pretty popular Sense UI is running on top of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, allowing you to add apps and widgets across 7 customizable home screens.
All said, until the Evo 3D is released, the Sensation is HTC’s best Android smartphone you can buy in Europe. Heck even with the Evo 3D out, you may want slightly lighter device without all that 3D mumbo-jumbo and with a single (and better) camera on the back.
3. LG Optimus 3D
LG pretty much stole this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with its Optimus 3D, the first glasses-free 3D Android smartphone and the first “three-dual” device with dual-core processor, dual cameras and dual-channel memory. And while we love LG for innovating, we do realize one important downside of the Optimus 3D – it has “only” 512MB of RAM, which may be enough at present, but I’m not sure how it will handle the upcoming Android Ice Cream Sandwich once it’s released. Speaking of Android versions, there’s also another somewhat annoying thing about LG’s 3D smartphone – it runs Froyo, with Gingerbread update set to be released in October, which looks like light years from now.
As for the specs, the Optimus 3D is the superphone by all accounts. It rocks a large 4.3-inch WVGA screen, HSPA+ and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS, 8GB of built-in storage and all other “standard for a high-end smartphone” bells and whistles. What’s more, these days Gameloft is bundling 3D versions of some of its games with the Optimus 3D, allowing users to actually “do something” with their 3D screen.
4. Apple iPhone 4
What can I say about Apple’s iPhone 4 – you most-likely definitely know all there is to know about it. It may have a single-core processor, but it’s still a pretty powerful smartphone with more apps available for the iOS than for all other platforms combined.
Despite being a year old device — which is like a century in today’s mobile phone business — the iPhone 4 is still selling in volumes. Of course with all new Android smartphone hitting the market, Apple’s figures were affected, but not that much. And with the iPhone 5 coming later in the year, that could change again.
Speaking of iPhone 5, I’m not sure I see the point of buying the iPhone 4 today when we know the new version will be launched within the next few months. However, that’s just a geek inside me speaking – I’m aware not everyone wants the latest technology in their pocket, but just a (smart)phone that works. In that sense, iPhone 4 delivers flawlessly and is super easy to use.
5. LG Optimus 2X
My list ends with the LG Optimus 2X, officially (according to Guinness World Records) the first phone with a dual-core processor. It rocks a 4-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, HSPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, 8-megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash, GPS, 8GB of built-in storage, 512MB of RAM and a memory card slot. The Optimus 2X’s smaller screen — when compared to the first 3 phones on the list — makes it more pocketable and easier to carry around. Some of you may appreciate this, whereas the rest of you (us), will rather buy pants with larger pockets. Personally I used to hate devices with 4.3-inch screens but now I’m used to them and honestly – I can’t imagine getting back to something smaller.
And that wraps it up. Have I missed some smartphone for the top 5 list? Would you add something else? Comments form is all yours…